#Online Pass

FRONT PAGE

Nintendo Switch's paid online service will be launching in the second half of September. We already know about the price and its features, but the last piece of the puzzle was when we'd eventually need to open our wallets. To reiterate, "Sw...

Activision has quietly announced that Guitar Hero Live's online video service, GHTV, will be shutting down on December 1, 2018. This will see the termination of any semblance of DLC the game once had (since no content packs were ever releas...

It isn't exactly breaking news that Metal Gear Survive includes microtransactions, but it seems that Konami has really outdone itself with this one. When starting Survive, you'll need to create a character to play with. This character will ...

Have no plans for this weekend? Why not stay home and check out some NBA 2K18 on Xbox One? Don't have a real interest in sports games? You can also download Overwatch or Rainbow Six Siege and get to shooting. But wait, don't those require X...

[Update: I somehow missed this in the sheer absurdity of the Splatfest, but this will be a European only event. Apparently our brothers overseas actually debate about the CORRECT method of putting toilet paper on the roll. How odd!]
The reg...

[Update: Nintendo has clarified to Kotaku that, "Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will have ongoing access to a library of classic games with added online play. Users can play as many of the games as they want, as often as they like, as...

Ubisoft's version of the online pass, designed to gate people out of online play unless they purchase a game new, is officially dead. The publisher has confirmed this on their blog, noting that due to customer complaints, you will no longer...

Given the policy reversal over Xbox One's DRM, it wasn't entirely out of the question that Electronic Arts would change its mind and want to keep the Online Pass program going. A stupid scenario, to be sure -- do you know anyone who even mo...

Shortly before the reveal of Xbox One, Electronic Arts finally announced it was scrapping its dreadful Online Pass system, due to "listening to the public." While the Xbox One's DRM-fueled strategy renders the Online Pass obsolete, EA is ad...

[Update: Sony has outright confirmed my initial interpretation. As reported by GameFront, Sony has stated that Tretton's use of the term "DRM" referred only to playing used games online. Essentially, they're talking about letting publishers...

[Update: EA has commented about the price, indicating that all previous Online Passes will become free on both XBLA and PSN "over the next several weeks."]
It seems that EA wasn't just thinking about the Xbox One when it mentioned drop...

Electronic Arts has today declared that it will be discontinuing use of its controversial (read: shitty) online pass system, no longer requiring an access code to unlock features. The scheme, put in place to make money off used sales, will ...

Join Jim as he celebrates the 100th episode of Jimquisition ... and complains about EA. Again.
Companies (mostly EA) have started to learn they can get away with pulling their familiar stunts by giving them a new coat of paint. We make jok...

In this latest installment of Office Chat, I'm joined by Jim Sterling and Jordan Devore to discuss rumors that Assassin's Creed IV will center around piracy on the high seas and express hope for the continued existence of a used games mark...

Jimquisition's had it wrong all this time. Videogame companies exist to make money, so it was foolish to ever suggest their anti-consumer policies are awful, reckless, and deserving of criticism.
That was all sarcasm, just then.

Square Enix has decided that an online pass will no longer be required to play Hitman: Absolution's Contracts multiplayer mode. Even though there will exist copies of the game containing a code, it will not be required to access the online ...

This week's Jimquisition is fueled by Mounting Dudes.
Halo 4 is out this week, and if you've been paying any attention to its marketing, you'll know that you won't be able to enjoy it without the crisp, refreshing taste of M...

Season passes can be a gamble, even with higher-profile games. That's why I've yet to pay up front for content that might not turn out to be great despite the savings associated with doing so. Halo 4 will get in on that action with its War ...

Those who love videogames deeply enough will learn to hate them.
There are two sides to this industry -- one worth cherishing, the other worth nothing more than scorn. Like a certain coin-flipping supervillain, the game industry has two fa...

There was once a time when consoles had something that PCs didn't have. They were cheaper, easier to use, more convenient. They dominated the market because they dominated our need to be lazy and catered to. Then this generation happened.
...

THQ may have shifted gears when it comes to the once-planned downloadable content expansion of Saints Row, but things have not totally changed over there in regards to their DLC strategy. In a press release today, the publisher announced a ...

Pokemon Conquest arrived yesterday (just in time for E3 travel!) and, while rifling through the game's bundle of packaging material, I found this little pass code. The code, which is good for only one use, unlocks Dratini as a usable Pokemo...

A common argument used to defend the videogame industry from accusation of anti-consumerism is that games are a luxury, therefore nobody is entitled to them. A fair enough suggestion, but one that misconstrues a number of reasons why the g...

Industry analyst Michael "Bumblecrumbs" Pachter has responded to rumors that Sony's next generation PlayStation will block used games, believing that the pros are far outweighed by the cons. According to the smooth operator, retailers ...

[Update: I've been informed that the passes will go live for the PS3 version between 2pm and 5pm PT. Tecmo Koei is currently trying to hear back from Microsoft about the Xbox 360 version. Apparently they were supposed to be ready for valida...